Social media platforms (SMPs) have become a key source of success for many organizations in today's complex business environment due to advancements in information and communication technologies that ...have created dynamic innovations. This study aims to explore the complex relationships between SMPs' usage and organizational performance with respect to small and medium-sized restaurants in Jordan. In addition, it investigates the impact of competition intensity as a moderating variable. The model of the study was assessed and examined by gathering data from 331 Jordanian restaurants using the partial least squares (PLS) method. The findings revealed that SMPs' usage is positively associated with restaurant performance (financial, marketing, and operational). In addition, the results indicate a significant moderating impact of competition intensity only on the relationship between SMPs' usage and restaurants' marketing performance. Based on the results, several theoretical and practical implications for restaurants have been suggested, as well as further research avenues.
Breast cancer must be addressed by a multidisciplinary team aiming at the patient’s comprehensive treatment. Recent advances in science make it possible to evaluate tumor staging and point out the ...specific treatment. However, these advances must be combined with the availability of resources and the easy operability of the technique. This study is aimed at distinguishing and classifying benign and malignant cells, which are tumor types, from the data on the Wisconsin Diagnostic Breast Cancer (WDBC) dataset by applying data mining classification and clustering techniques with the help of the Weka tool. In addition, various algorithms and techniques used in data mining were measured with success percentages, and the most successful ones on the dataset were determined and compared with each other.
This study explores the adaptation of Arab students to Chinese culture, using MENA students as examples. MENA students are from the Middle East and North Africa (Arabic is their mother tongue and is ...commonly referred to as "Arabs"). The purpose of their visit is to pursue their studies in China and to adopt the Chinese lifestyle. We examine how they integrated Chinese culture into their culture and vice versa to better understand their adaptation to the Chinese cross-culture. Their perception of Chinese society and lifestyle differs from their own. We conducted a survey comprising forty-one closed questions and one open-ended question to examine fifty-five MENA students studying in mainland China. Regardless of their backgrounds, the results suggest that their adaptation to Chinese culture appears to include adhering to Chinese etiquette, becoming close to the way of life, examining the development of Technology, and attempting to share Chinese development perspectives with their own cultures. In contrast to their own culture, they display a high degree of adaptability to the conditions and rules of Chinese society with 89% of total participants. Aside from displaying cultural diversity, they also highlight language proficiency challenges, impressions of the culture, and wonders of the host country.
Summary
A prospective hospital-based survey in representative regions of Saudi Arabia determined the incidence of fractures at the hip. The hip fracture rates were used to create a FRAX® model to ...facilitate fracture risk assessment in Saudi Arabia.
Objective
This paper describes the incidence of hip fracture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that was used to characterize the current and future burden of hip fracture, to develop a country-specific FRAX® tool for fracture prediction and to compare fracture probabilities with neighbouring countries.
Methods
During a 2-year (2017/2018) prospective survey in 15 hospitals with a defined catchment population, hip fractures in Saudi citizens were prospectively identified from hospital registers. The number of hip fractures and future burden was determined from national demography. Age- and sex-specific incidence of hip fracture and national mortality rates were incorporated into a FRAX model for Saudi Arabia. Fracture probabilities were compared with those from Kuwait and Abu Dhabi.
Results
The incidence of hip fracture applied nationally suggested that the estimated number of hip fractures nationwide in persons over the age of 50 years for 2015 was 2,949 and is predicted to increase nearly sevenfold to 20,328 in 2050. Hip fracture rates were comparable with estimates from Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. By contrast, probabilities of a major osteoporotic fracture or hip fracture from the age of 70 years were much lower than those seen in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait due to higher mortality estimates for Saudi Arabia.
Conclusion
A country-specific FRAX tool for fracture prediction has been developed for Saudi Arabia which is expected to help guide decisions about treatment.
Introduction
Smartphone addiction has been associated with sleeping problems and psychological anxiety. However, little is known about the association of smartphone addiction, sleep quality and ...perceived stress amongst university students particularly in dentistry. This study investigated the association of these variables amongst dental students in a Jordanian dental faculty.
Materials and methods
A sample of 420 undergraduate dental students enrolled for academic year 2017/2018 at the Jordan University of Science and Technology participated in this study. They were given a set of self‐administered questionnaires which consisted of questions regarding demographic information, characteristics of smartphone use, assessment of smartphone addiction, sleep quality as well as perceived stress.
Results
The mean Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) score amongst Jordanian dental students was high (109.9 ± 23.8). The correlation between SAS and Global Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score was significant (r = 0.137, P =0.005) indicating that the higher the smartphone addiction level, the poorer the quality of sleep. Similarly, a significant correlation was found between Perceived Stress Scale‐10 (PSS‐10) score and Global PSQI score (r = 0.348, P < 0.001) which implied that students who have higher perceived stress experienced poorer sleep quality. Year 3 students (clinical year), smartphone addiction and perceived stress were determinants of sleep quality.
Conclusions
Dental students who have high levels of smartphone addiction or high perceived stress levels experienced poor sleep quality. Identifying smartphone addicts amongst students as well as stressors are imperative measures to allow timely assistance and support in the form of educational campaigns, counselling, psychotherapy and stress management.
The aim of the present study was to investigate vitamin D status among female out-patients in Saudi Arabia during the summer and winter seasons.
Data were retrospectively collected using medical ...record abstraction.
A multidisciplinary hospital in Riyadh between January and December 2009.
Saudi females (age ≥19 years; n 1556) attending out-patient clinics for various complaints comprised the studied population. The population was subdivided into two groups depending on the date of their visit where blood samples were collected: summer (n 659) and winter groups (n 897). The summer group was further subdivided into premenopausal (age 19-49 years; n 425) and postmenopausal subgroups (age ≥50 years; n 234). Similarly, the winter group was subdivided into premenopausal (n 543) and postmenopausal subgroups (n 354). Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured using HPLC.
The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <50 nmol/l) was high in both premenopausal and postmenopausal groups (80 % and 68 %, respectively) during the summer, as well as during the winter (85 % and 76 %, respectively).
A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Saudi female out-patients was observed throughout the year despite the routine supplementation with 10-20 μg vitamin D3 for postmenopausal women. Clinicians should seriously consider determining the vitamin D status of Saudi females routinely and prescribing them proper supplementation.
Background
Overweight adults are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and vitamin D deficiency, whereas an important feature to vitamin D physiology is its sex dependence. The aim of this ...study was to examine whether vitamin D status improvement exerts a sexually dimorphic effect on serum proteins associated with cardiovascular risk among overweight adults.
Materials and methods
Unprocessed serum from age‐ and BMI‐matched men (n = 26) and premenopausal women (n = 24) with vitamin D deficiency and after they achieved sufficiency through a 12‐month nutritional intervention was analysed using our previously published depletion‐free quantitative proteomics method. Key findings were verified with ELISA. Differentially expressed proteins were subjected to in silico bioinformatics assessment using principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering and Metacore™ pathway analysis. All mass spectrometry proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange (identifier: PXD003663).
Results
A total of 282 proteins were differentially expressed after the intervention between men and women (P‐value ≤ 0·05), in which the blood coagulation pathway was significantly enriched. In agreement with the proteomics findings, ELISA measurements showed vitamin K‐dependent protein C, von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen gamma chain and multimerin‐1 proteins, of relevance to blood coagulation, to be differentially affected (P‐value ≤ 0·05) between sexes after vitamin D status correction.
Conclusions
This study identified novel protein‐level molecular indicators on the sexually dimorphic effect of vitamin D status correction associated with blood coagulation among overweight adults. These sex‐mediated vitamin D effects should be factored in the design and interpretation of vitamin D observational and interventional studies testing cardiometabolic outcomes.
IDF-DaR guidelines recommend change of basal insulin timing to early evening. Randomized trials examining timing of basal insulin during fasting are lacking.
Objective: To compare glucose profiles in ...T1DM patients taking Glargine at early evening (6-7 pm) versus bedtime (10-12 night) during fasting Ramadan.
Methods: Multicenter open label randomized controlled trial. Patients recruited in 4 centers from 4 cities in Saudi Arabia. Data collected using pre- and post-Ramadan questioners. Glucose data collected via self-monitoring (Roche AccuCheck glucometer/the Abbott Freestyle Libre), and Envision iPro CGM.
Results: 185 T1DM patients randomized; 91 to glargine at 6-7pm (early), and 94 at 10-12 night (late). 32.4% ≤18 years, 53% female, and average duration of DM 11 ±11. No significant differences between the two groups in demographics or DM complications. Early vs. late group: Pre Ramadan A1c 9 ±2.7 vs. 8.75 ±2.1, p=0.35, post Ramadan A1c 8.4 ±2.9 vs. 8.7 ±2.7, p=0.5. Breaking of fast reported in 66 (75.9%) vs. 71 (76.3%), p=0.94; average number of days 4±6 vs. 4±4, p=0.5, and due to hypoglycemia in >90% of cases for both groups. Hypoglycemia most common in Morning 32 (59.3%) vs. 38 (60.35%), p=0.85. Severe hypoglycemia reported in 2 vs. 5 patients, and 1 DKA admission in each group. Combined CGM data during Ramadan: A1c 7.6 ±1.7 vs. 7.7 ±2.1, p=0.63. Average Time in range of 70-180 mg/dl 44.6% vs. 46.1%, p=0.7, Time below range (<70mg/dl) 7.9% vs. 6.4%, p=0.35, and Time above range (>180mg/dl) 47.5 vs. 47.5%, p=0.99. Total hypoglycemic episodes detected by SMBG 4 ±6 vs. 3 ±8, p=0.3, and Low excursions detected by iPro CGM 5 ±6 vs. 4 ±5.5, p=0.22, with AUC below limit 0.5 ±1 vs. 0.15 ±0.85, p=0.03.
Conclusion: Changing glargine timing during Ramadan to early evening hours carries no significant advantage over keeping at bedtime in regards to hypoglycemia and overall glucose profiles.
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04383990.
Disclosure
R. Alamoudi: None. M. Hassanein: None. G. S. Khogeer: None. A. Al qarni: None. Y. M. Saleh: Advisory Panel; Self; American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Novo Nordisk, Research Support; Self; Servier Laboratories, Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Abbott Diabetes, Amgen Inc., Ascensia Diabetes Care, Lilly Diabetes, Sanofi-Aventis. A. Aljawhrji: None. M. R. Alsubaiee: None. H. A. Zarif: Advisory Panel; Self; Pfizer Foundation, Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Medtronic. S. B. Alaidarous: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk. S. A. Khashwayn: None.
Funding
King Abdullah International Research Center
To examine the prevalence of foot ulcers, foot at risk, and the associated risk factors among Jordanian diabetics.
A cross-sectional design was applied on 1000 diabetes patients (both type-1 and ...type-2) aged >20 years. The participants were selected systematically from among every second patient visiting the diabetes clinics at National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Genetics (NCDEG) in Amman, Jordan. The participants were interviewed, examined, and then their medical records were reviewed. The factors including sensory neuropathy, vibratory neuropathy, painful neuropathy, vascular insufficiency, retinopathy, and dermatological changes were recorded for all patients. Foot at risk was identified based on the risk category classification and foot ulcers were evaluated based on the Wagner's classification system.
A total of 53 (5.3%) patients had foot ulcers, 17 (1.7%) had undergone amputations, and 172 (17.2%) had foot at risk. A total of 62 patients were identified in the risk category-1, 82 in the risk category-2, and 28 in the risk category-3. Loss of protective sensation was detected in 174 (17.4%) patients, loss of vibratory sensation in 162 (16.2%) patients, absence of posterior tibial pulse in 115 (11.5%) patients, absence of dorsalis pedis pulse in 97 (9.7%) patients, and claudication in 72 (7.2%) patients. Loss of protective sensation (p < 0.000), loss of vibratory sensation (p < 0.039), and vascular insufficiency (p = 0.02) were found to be significantly higher in diabetic patients with foot ulcers than in those without foot ulcers.
The prevalence of foot ulcer in Jordan was 5.3%, while foot at risk was prevalent in 17.2% patients. Patients with loss of protective sensation, loss of vibratory sensation, and vascular insufficiency of the lower limbs were found to be at a higher risk for the development of foot ulceration.
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